TABLE 2.
Patient, disease, and campaign‐level characteristics of online GoFundMe® campaigns for patients with kidney cancer. n = 486
| Characteristic |
All Campaigns n = 486 n (%) |
Successful Campaigns n = 40 n (%) |
p‐value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient a | |||
| Patient age | |||
| Adult | 402 (82.7) | 30 (75) | 0.313 |
| Child | 82 (16.9) | 10 (25) | |
| Patient sex | |||
| Male | 298 (61.3) | 27 (67.5) | 0.436 |
| Female | 174 (35.8) | 13 (32.5) | |
| Unknown | 14 (2.9) | 0 (0) 0 (0) | |
| Employment status | |||
| Adult, Yes | 138 (34.3) | 11 (36.7) | 0.644 |
| Parent of child, Yes | 29 (35.4) | 5 (50) | 0.217 |
| Loss of job/reduction of hours due to illness | |||
| Adult, Yes | 174 (43.3) | 12 (40) | 0.526 |
| Parent of child, Yes | 24 (29.3) | 5 (50) | 0.147 |
| Patient is primary wage earner | 150 (37.3) | 14 (46.7) | 0.447 |
| Patient has children | 249 (61.9) | 17 (56.7) | 0.484 |
| Patient has children <18y/o | 77 (19.2) | 7 (23.3) | 0.179 |
| Insurance status | |||
| Covered | 20 (4.1) | 1 (2.5) | 0.695 |
| Under‐covered | 88 (18.1) | 5 (12.5) | |
| No insurance | 52 (10.7) | 3 (7.5) | |
| Unknown | 326 (67.1) | 31 (77.5) | |
| Patient is in military or a veteran | 41 (10.2) | 2 (6.7) | 0.330 |
| Disease | |||
| Cancer type | |||
| Renal cell carcinoma | 98 (20.2) | 11 (27.5) | 0.219 |
| Wilms’ tumor | 41 (8.4) | 5 (12.5) | |
| Other | 16 (3.3) | 2 (5) | |
| Unknown | 331 (68.1) | 22 (55) 22 (55) | |
| Cancer stage | |||
| Early (I) | 4 (0.8) | 0 (0) | 0.371 |
| Mid (II or III) | 24 (4.9) | 4 (10) | |
| Late (IV+) | 136 (28) | 14 (35) | |
| Unknown | 317 (65.2) | 22 (55) | |
| Cancer status | |||
| Active treatment | 259 (53.3) | 17 (42.5) | 0.097 |
| Metastasis | 64 (13.2) | 10 (25) | |
| Remission/cure | 56 (11.5) | 3 (7.5) | |
| Hospice/end of life | 23 (4.7) | 2 (5) 2 (5) | |
| Death | 36 (7.4) | 6 (15) | |
| Unknown | 47 (9.7) | 2 (5) | |
| Metastases, yes | 0.889 | ||
| Bone | 39 (8) | 4 (10) | |
| Lymph Nodes | 23 (4.7) | 2 (5) | |
| Brain | 22 (4.5) | 2 (5) | |
| Lung | 16 (3.3) | 1 (2.5) | |
| Adrenal | 8 (1.6) | 1 (2.5) | |
| Liver | 5 (1) | 2 (5) | |
| Pancreas | 3 (0.6) | 2 (5) | |
| Colon | 2 (0.4) | 0 (0) | |
| Ovary | 2 (0.4) | 0 (0) | |
| Uterus | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0) | |
| None | 141 (35.2) | 10 (25) | |
| Other | 26 (5.3) | 3 (7.5) | |
| Unknown | 236 (48.6) | 19 (47.5) | |
| Travel out of state/country for treatment, yes | 57 (11.7) | 7 (17.5) | 0.091 |
| History of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, yes | 24 (4.9) | 3 (7.5) | 0.209 |
| Past treatment, yes | 0.574 | ||
| Surgery | 222 (45.7) | 15 (37.5) | |
| Chemotherapy | 79 (16.3 | 7 (17.5) | |
| Radiation | 48 (9.9) | 3 (7.5) | |
| Experimental treatment | 10 (2.1) | 1 (2.5) | |
| Immunotherapy | 8 (1.6) | 2 (5) | |
| Transplant | 3 (0.6) | 2 (5) | |
| Stem cell treatment | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0) | |
| Bone marrow transplant | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| None | 104 (21.4) | 10 (25) | |
| Unknown | 115 (23.7) | 11 (27.5) | |
| Future treatment, yes | 0.603 | ||
| Surgery | 125 (25.7) | 12 (30) | |
| Chemotherapy | 90 (18.5) | 6 (15) | |
| Radiation | 51 (10.5) | 4 (10) | |
| Experimental treatment | 16 (3.3) | 1 (2.5) | |
| Transplant | 12 (2.5) | 1 (2.5) | |
| Immunotherapy | 9 (1.9) | 1 (2.5) | |
| Stem cell treatment | 2 (0.4) | 1 (2.5) | |
| Bone marrow transplant | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0) | |
| None | 89 (17.1) | 5 (12.5) | |
| Unknown | 183 (37.7) | 17 (42.5) | |
| Campaign | |||
| Author of GoFundMe® campaign | |||
| Friend | 140 (28.8) | 13 (32.5) | 0.205 |
| Other family | 72 (14.8) | 4 (10) | |
| Child | 70 (14.4) | 5 (12.5) | |
| Self | 64 (13.2) | 1 (2.5) | |
| Spouse | 26 (5.3) | 3 (7.5) | |
| Parent | 15 (3.1) | 2 (5) | |
| Unknown | 97 (20) | 12 (30) | |
| Fundraising out with GoFundMe® b | 39 (8) | 3 (7.5) | 0.597 |
| Reference to religion or spirituality | 206 (42.4) | 22 (55) | 0.092 |
a
Proportions were tabulated based on either the number of total patients (n = 486), the number of adult patients (n = 402) or the number of child patients (n = 82), depending on relevant context. For example, for employment status of the parent of the child, the denominator = 82.
b
Referring to any other form of fundraising for patient's expenses, as mentioned in the campaign story (e.g. community barbeque, gala, etc…). p‐values compare rows with campaign success (unsuccessful vs. successful).